Have you heard about Parker’s Teen Court program? Teen Court provides area youth with an opportunity to get involved with the court system and earn community service hours. Teen court was started in an effort to involve Parker youth in the judicial process while offering appropriate sentencing for juvenile offenders. This community-based program was designed to hold first-time juvenile misdemeanor offenders accountable while also providing a positive and educational experience through peer mentoring.
Currently the program is accepting teenagers who are interested in volunteering to serve as jurors, bailiffs and attorneys. Volunteer positions are available to youth 12-17 years old, participants must be at least 14 to serve as attorney. Teens can use the time volunteered toward mandatory community service hours for graduation or honor societies. Teen Court sessions will be held on Wednesday or Thursday evenings throughout the year. The time commitment can be as little as one evening per month with a training session held once a year. Volunteers will have the opportunity for additional training sessions throughout the year to help improve their performance.
The cases heard in Teen Court are real, to include: assault, destruction of property, disorderly conduct, littering, petty theft, shoplifting and possession of alcohol, drug paraphernalia and/or marijuana.
An orientation will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 30 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Town Hall, located at 20120 E. Mainstreet. Interested teens and their parents are encouraged to attend. Applications are available online at www.parkeronline.org. Contact Sandra Gutierrez with additional questions at 303.805.3171 or sgutierrez@parkeronline.org.